Dramatic Landscape Processing?

[ShaneS]

I see what you mean Grahame. Maybe a bit of burning in the triangle of water between the foreground rocks and the island ending at a loos point around the end of the green on the island?

It was a rain shower BTW...I must have accomplished something with my PP if you got that

[pnodrog]

Shane until you counter the progressive brightness on the right hand side that drags our eyes to the edge of the image I suspect you are going to find it hard to win....

[Stagecoach]

I see what you mean Grahame. Maybe a bit of burning in the triangle of water between the foreground rocks and the island ending at a loos point around the end of the green on the island?

It was a rain shower BTW...I must have accomplished something with my PP if you got that

Hi Shane,

Here's my quick mod simply using gradients to achieve what I was thinking.

[Richard Lundberg]

Exposure, fill light and warmth.

[Stagecoach]

Exposure, fill light and warmth.

Richard, whilst these are three areas that could be considered for most images it may be useful if you expand on how and where you see these attributes being used to advantage on this specific image of Shane's.

[dabhand]

Shane - your original question regarding how to improve - I'd like to suggest you consider making it a mono image - introduce the drama by increasing the highlights on the sea and the cliffs on the island, burn away the highlights in the sky, use a very contrasty conversion with quite a heavy vignette.

steve

[ShaneS]

I'm still experimenting with this image and can't seem to settle on what I want yet. I do know that I am having a hard time with the highlights on the right. I'm not sure I like the yellow tones when I dodge or reduce the exposure on them. I'm also struggling with the overall level of brightness.

Mono might be a good idea but I do love the colors...hmmm???

This one may need to rest a bit longer

[Brev00]

I am not often a fan of a centered subject, so I did some cropping and other adjustments to white balance along with some Color Efex tweaks. The rocks were too black so I didn't mind cropping much of them, too.

[IMG][/IMG]

[Glenn NK]

I'd combine the advice from Chauncey (Wm) and Kodiak (Daniel).

First I'd try to re-shoot - this may be easier for you than most of us as you live there.

But I'd also agree with Daniel's suggestions; the configuration of the rocks is great but the darkness hides the detail in them, and a little darkening of the island would help.

Glenn

[pnodrog]

I am not often a fan of a centered subject, so I did some cropping and other adjustments to white balance along with some Color Efex tweaks. The rocks were too black so I didn't mind cropping much of them, too.

[IMG][/IMG]

Larry I see you have taken a similar approach to mine. That is two of us that think it needs a crop.....

............ I suspect the main problem is that it ends up with two areas of interest (the island and the rocks) stacked. To make it work from a compositional point of view you need to make one area dominant.

[bnnrcn]

Hi again Shane. I like your edit because you mentioned in your post above that you want an image which looks closer to reality. Your edit has a natural look and colors are not very saturated

PS. But I have to tell you that I loved Wayland's edit too

[Brev00]

L. Paul,

Yes, a crop but of two types. You wanted a more dominant island and thought to crop out the stones. I was just interested in changing the position of the island in the frame. I thought the rocks were important but did not like the lack of detail. So, a compromise. What do you think about the dominance in mine given the higher horizon?

[Glenn NK]

Hi again Shane. I like your edit because you mentioned in your post above that you want an image which looks closer to reality. Your edit has a natural look and colors are not very saturated

PS. But I have to tell you that I loved Wayland's edit too

Binnur: I really like Wayland's edit also.

Plenty of drama. It may not be what Shane saw, but it could have fooled me.

Glenn

[FootLoose]

I'm not sure I like the yellow tones when I dodge or reduce the exposure on them. I'm also struggling with the overall level of brightness.

(

Shane, if the yellows are a problem, why not pull the yellow channel back using the hue/saturation sliders?

I notice in your last edit posted here, the details in the clouds immediately above the horizon to the right of the island have blown out. You might be able to control brightness levels better using a curves adjustment layer.

[pnodrog]

L. Paul,

Yes, a crop but of two types. You wanted a more dominant island and thought to crop out the stones. I was just interested in changing the position of the island in the frame. I thought the rocks were important but did not like the lack of detail. So, a compromise. What do you think about the dominance in mine given the higher horizon?

Yes I confess I prefer your horizon position. (I do not want to upset you but I still prefer my tonal range...) When I cropped like you I was trying to make the island less central but I was cropping the rocks to not compete with the island rather than as you say you did because of the lack of detail.

[Peeshan]

Hi
The light/shadow in the last version is very nice, but personally I think the foreground rocks are still too visible, and the composition too static (island in the middle, horizon exactly at 1/3rd). Finally 3/2 format is not necessarily the best in this particular case, 16/9 or even 2,35:1 (movie) would give it a cinematic quality (not to everyone taste, but it could be worth trying.) For example:






It's kind of a "cheap trick" but sometimes that works too...

[Mike Buckley]

This post is a bit tongue-in-cheek but not entirely so.

I'm imagining an oil painter working in her studio/gallery. Her friends are milling about, perhaps drinking a glass of wine. She has almost finished painting the first scene displayed in this thread and asks her friends to explain the finishing touches they would put on it if they were painting it. Some suggest darkening the island and lightening the foreground rocks. Some suggest increasing the saturation in the sky. Some suggest making the water more vibrant. Some suggest doing some of that or all of that. Some even suggest cutting the canvas to change the composition.

All the while one person has been silently standing in the back listening to all of the suggestions. Finally, he walks forward and offers to buy the painting as is because the scene is a favorite spot of his and the painting seems so true to his memory of it.

[chauncey]

We post images for C&C and ask for suggestions hoping that someone/anyone has a "dah" idea for PP
that we might have overlooked, a fresh set of eyes, so to say. Sometimes these ideas are incorporated,
but, in the end, that photographer will produce a symphony to match his desires.
It is said that a painter never finishes a masterpiece...why should we differ?

[pnodrog]

We post images for C&C and ask for suggestions hoping that someone/anyone has a "dah" idea for PP
that we might have overlooked, a fresh set of eyes, so to say. Sometimes these ideas are incorporated,
but, in the end, that photographer will produce a symphony to match his desires.
It is said that a painter never finishes a masterpiece...why should we differ?

Good to know all my unfinished projects are probably masterpieces - I had always hoped they would be......

[MrB]

There appears to be a glow from the sun, out of shot through the clouds on the right, that is lighting the water and highlighting the foreground rocks. If so, I would expect the dark clouds to appear darker grey (and with less blue tint). So this is an attempt to gently enhance those effects:



Cheers.
Philip